Looking for difficult trails in the Whites

[The Yankees Guy]

The Terrifying Twenty-five is awesome. Muchly appreciated, a new list to go after once my NH 4's are done.

 

[Fisher Cat]

I meant the other one that starts up a few miles further. Approximately here

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.03084,-71.51722&z=14

Looks like Kevin and I were thinking the same thing. So Tom, you are referring to 'Osseo' as in sense of when the section of trail would have been the most extreme southern section of the original Franconia Ridge Trail? In that case it is certainly seen on old maps, but if it is identifiable today I am not sure, I haven't personally delved into it. Present day Osseo maintenance keeps me busy enough. I'm sure there is someone on VFTT who knows of it.

 

[summitseeker]

Howker Ridge Trail is an under-utilized and imo under-appreciated trail that is both rugged and challenging as an approach to Madison. Its not especially steep but it does gain over 1000 ft of elevation in .9 m going from the 4th Howk to Madison. 4750 ft total el gain, rt. There are numerous ups and downs, varied terrain, some steep sections and rock scrambles and a nice chimney between 3rd and 4th Howk. Its a beautiful trail. With Appalachia parking full and overflowing onto Route 2 at 8 Am Thur, there were only 2 cars at Randolph East, the HRT trailhead. Abundant moose scat on 1st Howk.

I agree, IQuest and I did an ascent via the Howker Trail early this spring and didn't see a soul until we reached Madison. The Devil's Kitchen is a really cool area not far from the trailhead. This isn't a terribly difficult trail as Grey J alluded to but it does have a nice final push with some good scrambles and elevation gain.

I hope this helps,

Z

 

[TrishandAlex]

The Terrifying Twenty-five is awesome. Muchly appreciated, a new list to go after once my NH 4's are done.

Thanks - we just had a new finisher today - glad folks are having fun with the hikes. I plan on creating a T25 Facebook Page soon. Will post the link here when it's ready to roll. Should be done by Tuesday (it's on my to-do list for Monday).

 

[Becca M]

In my opinion, some of the trails not going to 4K's are the most terrifying..... Mt Clinton Trail, Landing Camp, anything lightly traveled, unblazed, and not maintained but still open is the most terrifying (redliners know what I mean )

 

[shamples]

Its not quite in the Whites but the Holt Trail up Cardigan def qualifies!

 

[IQuest]

Try Mahoosuc Notch then climb up Mahoosuc Arm.

 

[NHClimber]

I see the Percy Peaks trail is listed on the T25. Is that the new trail or the old trail? Isn't there an old trail up the main face that is supposed to be pretty exposure-filled? I thought I read that in the AMC guide but cannot recall.

Also, I hiked Great Gully for the first time last week and it felt surprisingly stratightforward to me but was certainly steep enough. I even left my pack on for the boulder squeeze and had no trouble. I guess the difference between GG and something like Hunts is that the latter is both steep (very steep) and exposed whereas I never felt any real exposure on GG. Note that part way up on GG there is a giant boulder blocking the trail that one must climb over or squeeze around. Not sure how long it has been there but it certainly owned the trail.

I look forward to getting over to Mahoosuc Notch one of these days.

Finally, what about some slides such as Landslide/Shoestring Gully up Webster. The gully directly across from the Willey house and pond parking lot (Landslide?) looks like it would be fun. There is a write up here from several years ago where some VFTT folks hiked it.

 

[DayTrip]

Not to hijack your thread but I've been doing a similar list of late. Recently did Madison Gulf Trail, Castle Ravine Trail and Huntington Ravine Trail. Did Flume Slide Trail, slides on North Tripyramid and some others on your list this year as well. I am hoping to do King Ravine this week if weather cooperates so I can't comment on those. Huntington Ravine is definitely the most challenging, dangerous and fun trail of the ones I've done on your list. I'd put the slides on North Tripyramid next, not so much because of the degree of difficulty but for the distance that the trail is very difficult.

My question for the posters is what/is there a sensible way to do Great Gulf/Butress/Sphinx in some form of day hike? All of my hikes are solo day hikes unfortunately and I have no means of car spotting so I have to loop back to my car at some point. And you have to walk a decent way into Gulf before you even reach these trails. Is there a "good" method of ascent/descent/ascent to bang these trails out or is it simply too much? Curious for anyone's thoughts on a possible loop that won't end with me plummeting off a steep ledge. None of these trails is recommended for descent but are any of them doable?

 

[NHClimber]

DayTrip I am in the same boat as you. I have an unpredictable work schedule so end up doing a lot of solo day hikes. I've been hiking and climbing in the whites for 25 years and believe it or not have never been into the great gulf. Would love to get onto some of the challenging trails in the great gulf but I think they will require some significant commitment.

 

[RoySwkr]

Its not quite in the Whites but the Holt Trail up Cardigan def qualifies!

I see the Percy Peaks trail is listed on the T25. Is that the new trail or the old trail? Isn't there an old trail up the main face that is supposed to be pretty exposure-filled? I thought I read that in the AMC guide but cannot recall.

Finally, what about some slides such as Landslide/Shoestring Gully up Webster. The gully directly across from the Willey house and pond parking lot (Landslide?) looks like it would be fun. There is a write up here from several years ago where some VFTT folks hiked it.

By definition the T25 is trails with tough writeups in the WMG, so it doesn't include trails elserwhere, abandoned trails, bushwhacks, etc.

I did the old trail up Percy on a wet day and didn't consider it that tough

My question for the posters is what/is there a sensible way to do Great Gulf/Butress/Sphinx in some form of day hike?

I did a loop of Great Gulf/Sphinx from cog railway trailhead, Buttress on a different hike downhill. The two I did downhill were steep but not terrifying and Sphinx would be OK downhill too.

Note that the WMG wants to keep unqualified hikers off these trails entirely, people who deliberately seek them out obviously have different objectives

 

[TJsName]

My question for the posters is what/is there a sensible way to do Great Gulf/Butress/Sphinx in some form of day hike? All of my hikes are solo day hikes unfortunately and I have no means of car spotting so I have to loop back to my car at some point. And you have to walk a decent way into Gulf before you even reach these trails. Is there a "good" method of ascent/descent/ascent to bang these trails out or is it simply too much? Curious for anyone's thoughts on a possible loop that won't end with me plummeting off a steep ledge. None of these trails is recommended for descent but are any of them doable?

I would look at this thread: http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?50193-Up-vs-Down-in-the-Great-Gulf

 

[1SlowHiker]

the ammonoosuc ravine is steep and challenging, but you won't find solitude except perhaps midweek in the dead of winter. 2 weeks ago we passed a group carrying a 17' grumman canoe to the summit...

why ?!?!

 

[Lefty E]

why ?!?!

Just a group of hard core canoers hitting Lakes of the Clouds before ice in......

 

[DayTrip]

I would look at this thread: http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?50193-Up-vs-Down-in-the-Great-Gulf

Thanks for that link! I had seen that post earlier and forgot what it was under. The information is great. Thanks again.

 

[sierra]

I see the Percy Peaks trail is listed on the T25. Is that the new trail or the old trail? Isn't there an old trail up the main face that is supposed to be pretty exposure-filled? I thought I read that in the AMC guide but cannot recall.

Also, I hiked Great Gully for the first time last week and it felt surprisingly stratightforward to me but was certainly steep enough. I even left my pack on for the boulder squeeze and had no trouble. I guess the difference between GG and something like Hunts is that the latter is both steep (very steep) and exposed whereas I never felt any real exposure on GG. Note that part way up on GG there is a giant boulder blocking the trail that one must climb over or squeeze around. Not sure how long it has been there but it certainly owned the trail.

I look forward to getting over to Mahoosuc Notch one of these days.

Finally, what about some slides such as Landslide/Shoestring Gully up Webster. The gully directly across from the Willey house and pond parking lot (Landslide?) looks like it would be fun. There is a write up here from several years ago where some VFTT folks hiked it.

I've done Shoestring gully on Mt. Webster, although I did it in winter as a mixed route. I was roped and used both ice screws and rock gear. The ascent was not that difficult, but I felt good being roped up. I've never climbed up there in the summer, if I had to guess, loose rock would be my primary concern. There is a prominent gully in the center, located above the slabs, I forgot its name ( Central Gully?) if I was to go up in the summer, I would try that one.

 

[DougPaul]

There is a prominent gully in the center, located above the slabs, I forgot its name ( Central Gully?) if I was to go up in the summer, I would try that one.

I've done the Central Couloir, also under winter conditions. There were several pitches of ice at mid-height (ropes, ice screws) and the gully above was filled with loose 6 inch to 1 foot boulders. It is definitely not a good place to be below anyone else... (We knocked off lots of rocks which went a long way.) The finish was a short high-angle rock climb (easy) that finished right at the summit.

We did it as the start of a winter Presi traverse and were carrying multi-day packs.

My ice climbing guidebook rates Shoestring as III NEI 2 and Central as III NEI 2-3

Doug

 

[RoySwkr]

Just a group of hard core canoers hitting Lakes of the Clouds before ice in......

Some people take source-to-sea canoe trips seriously, depending on which side you go down this could be Ammonoosuc/Connecticut, Ellis/Saco, or Peabody/Androscoggin

 

[DougPaul]

Some people take source-to-sea canoe trips seriously, depending on which side you go down this could be Ammonoosuc/Connecticut, Ellis/Saco, or Peabody/Androscoggin

However, the boating just below Lakes of the Clouds is class 7...

(Note for the non-whitewater crowd: The defined classes only go up to 6--class 7 is a joke name for impossible or instant death...)

Doug

 

[sierra]

I've done the Central Couloir, also under winter conditions. There were several pitches of ice at mid-height (ropes, ice screws) and the gully above was filled with loose 6 inch to 1 foot boulders. It is definitely not a good place to be below anyone else... (We knocked off lots of rocks which went a long way.) The finish was a short high-angle rock climb (easy) that finished right at the summit.

We did it as the start of a winter Presi traverse and were carrying multi-day packs.

My ice climbing guidebook rates Shoestring as III NEI 2 and Central as III NEI 2-3

Doug

Yes that's it! my old ice guide is buried god knows where, but I remembered the name once you said it. Man my hats off to you, that route to start a Presi traverse, with full packs, not to shabby Doug.